Infertility: Questions to Ask About Medicine or Hormone Treatment

Topic Overview

When considering whether to try medicine or hormone treatment for
infertility, ask:

Whether there are any possible long-term risks
related to the proposed treatment.

Whether you need to change your
sexual activities during treatment. Your doctor may have suggestions for timing
sex to increase the possibility of becoming pregnant.

How long this
type of treatment is recommended before it's thought to be ineffective. Continuing
treatment when it is unlikely that you are going to conceive delays your
ability to consider other options such as adoption. You can set limits on how
long you want to try it, and you can change your mind also.

Whether a woman's age affects treatment options. For women 35
or older, a doctor may switch treatments sooner to provide a couple with the
best chance of becoming pregnant.

About the success rate of the
recommended infertility therapy for your specific problem. Medicine or
hormone therapy is highly successful for some causes of infertility, such as
failure to ovulate, but not for others.

How much monitoring is
required for the recommended therapy. Some treatments require daily monitoring
at the doctor's office. You must determine whether you can work around the
necessary monitoring schedule.

About your doctor's experience with
medicine and hormone therapy for infertility. This type of infertility
treatment requires careful diagnosis, dosage, and monitoring. Your doctor
should have specific training and experience in this area.

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